Year 8 Open Evening.

Last Tuesday, 24^th July we were pleased to welcome many Year 8 students, their parents and families to our Open Evening. Groups were guided around the school by senior students to see displays, view the classrooms and other facilities and experience the atmosphere of our school. Many thanks to the New Caledonia students who supplied the supper and to the number of students and staff who made this evening a success. Many parents were impressed with the open, friendly and respectful relationships shown by staff and students.

At the end of the evening there was a prize draw for tickets to the first Tenderlink Taranaki Ranfurly Shield challenge in Inglewood. The winners of the double passes were: Brandy Phillips (Eltham), Elizabeth Martin, Kyra Shadbolt (Stratford), Ryan Joll (Kaponga) and Nathan Roy (Midhirst). Miss Kay had organised a scavenger hunt and the ten prizes were won by: Alex, Danielle, Holly, Ben, Jordan, Demi, Jesse, Cody, Jessica and Josh.

Mrs Butler, Guidance Counsellor and Year 9 Intake Dean will be starting her school visits later this term. Enrolment forms will be sent to contributing schools shortly and collected during these visits. If you missed the open evening and would like to tour the school please contact the school office to make an appointment.

P H Keenan

Principal

Latest Information for Parents

There have been a number of changes to the weekly events due to the weather this week.
1. Swimming Sports:
These have been postponed and will be held on Friday 2nd March.
2. SHS Athletics Sports:
These will take place on Tuesday 28 February. For a $2 donation, students may wear house coloured mufti to school on this day.

3. Open Night: Wednesday 29 February:
An open night to welcome new students and parents will take place on Wednesday 29 February from 7pm to 8pm. Parents and students will be asked to meet in the hall by 7pm for a welcome by Mr Keenan and staff. After a short presentation, parents will have the opportunity to meet the teachers of their student. Light refreshments will be served.

4. Next newsletter:
The newsletter link will be emailed to parents on Thursday next week once the newsletter is ready for printing. Students whose parents have indicated that they wish a hard copy of the newsletter will recieve one in class on Thursday.

P H Keenan
Principal.

Latest news - Teacher Only Day

Teacher only day
With the recent Ministry of Education announcement for professional development days, SHS will be having a teacher only day on Monday July 11th. This means that students will not be required at school.

Year 8 Open Evening
The school will be open for Year 8 students and families to visit. The SHS Assembly hall will be open from 5.00pm with the evening to commence at 5.30 pm. Tours of the school will be followed by supper provided by the Australian Netball Touring team.
Members of the community are welcome to attend to have a look at our school.

Junior graduation excellence
The second junior graduation report has been sent to parents and two top students were found. Rachel Martin in year 10 scored 100% while closely followed by Joshua Hunger (99%) and Tayla Corbett (98%). In year 9 Sarah Kowalewski scored the top mark of 99% while Jacinta Frost and Monica Jones were close behind on 98%. Congratulations to all students who received a merit or excellence mark.

Senior reports on the way
Teachers are completing senior reports after the recent assessment week. These reports will be posted out next week and an interview evening will be held on July 13th in the assembly hall.

SHS Rockquest
The SHS Rockquest band “Peregrine” gave a good performance on Saturday afternoon but unfortunately were not selected for the final performances that evening. Well done to the band and to those who supported them on the day.


TSSSA Sports seminar for adventure racers

Four SHS senior students Sarah Rohe (Maadi Cup Rower), Laureen Cox (Flanagan Cup Ocean Swim winner and road cyclist), Matt Simpson (cross country and Triathlete) and Cameron Johnson (basketball rep) travelled to Opunake High School to join with the successful Opunake High Hillary Challenge team for a seminar with Nathan Fa’avae, World Champion Adventure Racer.
        To start the students thinking he wrote on the whiteboard, “Diminishing in Comparison”, very relative when Nathan started to tell us of his team competing in many far regions of the world. With world titles since 2002, his team competes in races of over 700 kms in length, over vast terrain, from kayaking to mountain biking. Anything that is physically man made can be added to the five day programme. In this extreme sport completing is everything, especially when only 10% of teams finish.
        During the day students looked at goal setting and motivating influences in their chosen sports, especially those designed to get them over the road blocks and walls. An amazing insight into the mental aspects of our own sports at high school level right up to coping at international level. Researchers state that it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert at anything, Nathan reckons his often six hour training runs and mountain bike events certainly cut into this time.
       For the frequent couch sitter, the adventure racer competing on the world stage seems totally crazy with how far they push the human body. But Nathan Fa’avae enjoys the challenge of not being normal and has the world titles to prove this.

TSSSA Boys Golf Championships
The SHS team of William Arnold, Kyle Cook, Stein Caskey and Jahvis Gotty completed at the Stratford Golf course on Friday 17th June. Congratulations to Stein Caskey had the best Nett score on the day with 65. A fine effort as Stein has played consistently well in the inter-school Southern competition in the first term where SHS narrowly missed the winners podium.


P H Keenan
Principal